It is common practice to load a quantity of individual packages of consumer products into corrugated paperboard shipping containers for bulk shipment of the packages to a point of sale. At the point of sale the individual packages are removed from the shipping container and placed on a shelf for display and sale to the consumer.
In many instances, especially in the so-called big box stores, the product packages are left in the shipping container which then also serves to support and display the packages for sale. If the shipping container is a conventional box the retailer must cut away a portion of the box in order to expose the product packages and provide access to them by the consumer. In order to provide a more attractive display and facilitate ease of use by the retailer, combination shipping and display containers have been developed which have sections that may be removed along weakened lines to expose the product packages and provide access to them.
Some conventional shipping and display containers require multiple pieces of corrugated material in their construction and/or are not easily produced on standard box plant converting equipment. Conventional designs also may not provide a container that retains its integrity during shipping and handling, and/or the retailer may be required to use a knife to open the shipping container to convert it to a display configuration. Additionally, removal of a section of conventional shipping and display containers frequently leaves a jagged edge that is unattractive.
Of additional concern with conventional shipping and display containers is their inability to ship bagged, pouched or carded products in a flat or horizontal position and then display them at the point of sale in an upright position.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a shipping and display container that uses only a single piece of corrugated material in its construction, that can be easily produced on standard box plant converting equipment, that retains its integrity during shipping and handling, that does not require the use of a knife or other tool to convert it from a shipping to a display configuration, that leaves a clean smooth edge when opened, and that enables the product packages to be loaded into the container and shipped in a horizontal position and displayed in an upright position when the container is opened at the point of sale.